American Association of Naturopathic Physicians to Convene in Portland

NCNM Celebrates the Association’s 25th Annual National Convention this Week

PORTLAND, Ore. (May 27, 2010)—The American Association of Naturopathic Physicians will celebrate its 25th anniversary at the annual AANP Convention and Exposition to be held in Portland from Wed., Aug. 11—Sun., Aug. 15 at the Oregon Convention Center. This year’s conference, “Celebrating the Foundation of Medicine,” will focus on the future of naturopathic medicine and its role in the wake of increased consumer demand for access to natural medicine and the growing shortage of primary care physicians nationwide.

Portland has long been home to the National College of Natural Medicine (NCNM), the oldest accredited naturopathic medical college in North America, which has delivered primary care education and clinical training to more than half of the licensed naturopathic doctors practicing in the U.S.

The convention will offer both naturopathic doctors and medical doctors continuing education credit that will benefit patient care for acute and chronic conditions. In recognition of the growing rise in demand for complementary and alternative medicine, Josephine Briggs, ND, director of the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine at the National Institutes of Health, will discuss promising new ideas for patient care from outside the realm of conventional medicine. Patricia Herman, ND, Ph.D., will also explain the cost-effectiveness of CAM in general, and the power of naturopathic medicine in the prevention of cardio-vascular disease specifically.

The AANP is holding its first annual post-convention continuing education event, featuring five additional continuing education credit hours focused on pharmacy and ethics. Proceeds from the new educational day will go to the Oregon Association of Naturopathic Physicians.

“Naturopathic physicians gather at the convention each year to enhance their education so that they can better serve the needs of their patients,” said Karen Howard, AANP Executive Director. “These annual meetings are an important part of reshaping the landscape of American medicine, and transforming the health care system from one that is focused on the management of disease to one that is rooted in health and wellness. We are excited to be celebrating our first 25 years of working to make this dream a reality.”

NCNM President Dr. David S. Schleich said, “Our naturopathic community values the role that the AANP plays, not just in bringing us together every year, but especially for its work to advance the profession throughout the country and in the halls of Congress. The naturopathic profession has made great strides to gain recognition in recent years—and the momentum is clearly building.”

Schleich agrees that the work ahead for the profession is to transform the health care system into a comprehensive program that embraces the principles of natural medicine. He added, “This year’s convention will be especially exciting as we take the next steps to envision how we can help address the demand for health care—globally, as well as nationally.”

In addition to strategic planning and the educational and networking opportunities the conference offers to attendees, NCNM will present two events built around the AANP convention schedule. The medical college will hold its 3rd annual ZRT Cup, a collegiate bowl competition for students in accredited natural medicine colleges throughout North America on Aug. 11 and 12 at NCNM in its Grand Hall, and its first Natural & Integrative Medicine Career Fair for natural medicine graduates and students, and other medical professionals. The Career Fair will take place Sun., Aug. 15 at the Lloyd Center Doubletree Hotel.

For more information about the 25th Annual AANP Convention, visit www.naturopathic.org; for more information about NCNM’s Natural & Integrative Career Fair and ZRT Cup Competition, visit www.ncnm.edu.

ABOUT NCNM: Founded in 1956, NCNM is the oldest accredited naturopathic medical school in North America. A nonprofit college of natural medicine, NCNM offers four-year graduate medical degree programs in Naturopathic Medicine and Classical Chinese Medicine. Its community clinics offer free and low-cost medical care throughout the Portland metropolitan area, and along with the campus-based NCNM Clinic, practitioners attend to approximately 40,000 patient visits per year. NCNM’s Helfgott Research Institute is a nonprofit research institute that conducts rigorous independent research to advance the science of natural medicine and improve clinical practice. Until July 2006, NCNM was known as the National College of Naturopathic Medicine.